sugary liquid + yeast + time = beer
November 19, 2015 8:35 AM   Subscribe

The Kitchn's Beer School: Emma Christensen's thorough but friendly 20-lesson / 5-weekend course in 1-gallon homebrewing.

Originally published as a follow-along-at-home series in May 2015.

2 additional supporting articles published before the Beer School started:
posted by We had a deal, Kyle (45 comments total) 65 users marked this as a favorite
 
One-gallon brewing is the way to go for me. It's easier (fewer bottles to clean) and quicker (especially wort cooling), and I'm not saddled with 2 cases of bad beer when I fail.
posted by sixpack at 8:45 AM on November 19, 2015 [6 favorites]


I brew one-gallon batches, and it's awesome! None of that macho "10-gallon pot on a propane turkey roaster for hours in a row" rubbish for me: I made a pale ale last Sunday night, from a kit, and I feel no shame.
posted by wenestvedt at 8:45 AM on November 19, 2015 [4 favorites]


I brewed beer way back in the day when everyone thought it was still illegal, and you could go down to your local bar and take home a case of empty, refillable longnecks in a great cardboard case, and it was a lot of fun. But, lord, five gallon batches was overkill for little old me, and I kind of drifted away from the hobby.

I've been eyeing those one-gallon kits very enviously, thinking now might be the time to get back into it. Northern Brewer has a one-gallon kit for a Bell's Two-Hearted clone, and that's the one I want...SANTA.
posted by Thorzdad at 9:07 AM on November 19, 2015 [2 favorites]


I've brewed a couple of the Brooklyn Brew Shop 1-gallon kits with good results (and good fun); and following furnace.heart's book recommendation in this thread, I'm about to strike out on my own with a 1-gallon hefeweizen recipe.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 9:20 AM on November 19, 2015


I respectfully disagree. For the most part the brew process takes the same about of time so if I am going to block off an afternoon to brew I do at least 5 gallons. IMHO, 1 gallon batches are for testing recipes , and I just don't have the time.

In fact, I have started doing second running and making a small beer at the same time I make my regular beer. Mostly when I make IPAs and other pale ales. So while one kettle is going I am sparging the grains a second time.

But like most homebrewers I have decided not to bottle anymore. Too much hassle and takes longer.
posted by terrapin at 9:22 AM on November 19, 2015 [7 favorites]


I've been telling people to do 1 gallons lately.
My LHBS sells one gallon kits. The equipment needed is cheaper (if not already in your kitchen) And you get the same basic cost savings as a 5 or 10 gallon batch.
Making beer should be fun, not stressful (unless it's your job).
posted by Seamus at 9:23 AM on November 19, 2015 [2 favorites]


I've been brewing and jacking one gallon batches of cider and mead. That's fun.
Take a small batch of tasty alcohol and make it tastier and alcoholier by freeze concentrating it.

(Flavor the applejack by floating a cinnamon stick in it overnight. Backsweeten the honeyjack with the same honey. Then mix them fifty-fifty in a shot or over ice. Amazing. Tastes like apple pie, but not like that super sweet apple pie "moonshine" people make.)

The cider you is even easier to make than beer. Who doesn't like cider?
posted by Seamus at 9:26 AM on November 19, 2015 [5 favorites]


If brewing is stressful you're doing it wrong.
posted by terrapin at 9:26 AM on November 19, 2015 [7 favorites]


I brew cyser (cider+honey=apple mead) in 1-gallon batches, which works out great because the store sells cider in 1 gallon glass bottles.
posted by fings at 9:28 AM on November 19, 2015 [5 favorites]


terrapin, if you have the rig, it takes about the same amount of time, but if they just want to dip their toes in, make enough beer for them to drink and have fun . . . more power to them. It is easier and cheaper.
posted by Seamus at 9:28 AM on November 19, 2015 [1 favorite]


One gallon is fine for beginning but if I'm going to go through the trouble of brewing and then wait a month to drink the stuff, I want more than a five pack's worth of brew to show for my effort.

I might do it for cider though, my wife likes it but doesn't drink much and I can't really stomach more than a few sips of it.
posted by octothorpe at 9:44 AM on November 19, 2015 [2 favorites]


Thorzdad, I have the Northern Brewer 1-Gallon starter kit, and I have put several batches of their extract kits through it. The kit works fine, and I am getting better at using it. :7)

I, too, brewed like twenty years ago, and this is all just…easier. A 45-minute boil means I can brew up a little batch after the kids are in bed without having to pull an all-nighter -- and I can do it on my stovetop, too.
posted by wenestvedt at 9:45 AM on November 19, 2015 [3 favorites]


I really like these tutorials. They break it down and give some good information specifically designed for 1 gallon batches. Everything seems scaleable if you wanted to move up to a 5 gallon batch (except cooling. sink cooling a 5 gallon batch, even when not doing a full boil, is a PITA).

One thing they don't seem to cover is clarification (use of irish moss or isinglass or even gelatin) to deal with cloudiness issues. If they gave people that info, you could make some great beer this way.
posted by Seamus at 9:47 AM on November 19, 2015 [3 favorites]


From the places I read, 5- and 10-gallon brewers like small batches for testing a recipe that they intend to scale up, or for using up odd-ball ingredients, or for indulging seasonal/custom/weirdo experiments.

And it's especially awesome for making a full batch of wort and then splitting it into multiple small fermenters to do direct comparisons of technique/recipe variations.
posted by wenestvedt at 9:48 AM on November 19, 2015 [1 favorite]


One gallon is great for test and split batches. I recently got my third 1 gallon carboy by buying some whole foods apple juice and turning it into cider. I'd keep an eye out for these because they work just as well as the containers you can get from your lhbs and for a few dollars, you also get a gallon of apple juice.

I don't have enough friends for five gallons. Not that I need any additional equipment, but I really want to invest in some three gallon fermenters. It'll still be on the easy side to chill, and it'll take me longer to drink the beer than it took to make it.
posted by lownote at 9:58 AM on November 19, 2015 [1 favorite]


terrapin, if you have the rig, it takes about the same amount of time, but if they just want to dip their toes in, make enough beer for them to drink and have fun . . . more power to them. It is easier and cheaper.

Understandable. And I admit I am going on the pull quotes in the FPP and not reading the linked article. But my suggestion would be to join a homebrew club or finding a friend. I invite the n00bs on our homebrew mailing list to come to my house and help, and then I give them a growler or two as a thank you.

Also understandable that people who live in small spaces and not have room to store 5/10-gallon equipment are in a different boat.

Also at some point there is an economy of scale right? Cheaper to buy a good local craft brew in a growler than the time to brew a 1-gallon batch.

If people brew that's great. All for it, no matter what amount or scale.
posted by terrapin at 10:01 AM on November 19, 2015 [2 favorites]


Yeah, we have a couple rolling 1gal batches for "expensive" experiments…stuff like Imperial IPA's, that only I will drink. But we also have locked down a solid Kolsch recipe that gets made in no less than 5 gallon batches, because its basically the family table beer, and if we run out some serious panic sets in.

I think i've suggested it before, but the book Beer Craft is phenomenal for starting brewers. Its geared towards single gallon batches (but scaling up is easy), and it explains alot of the variables for yeasts, hops and malts. Its really, really good for being a primer. Its got a couple chapters that are kind of stupid, but most everything is solid. If you're looking to get into 1 gallon batches and make your own recipes (on the bones of traditional beers) this is a great book to have.
posted by furnace.heart at 10:02 AM on November 19, 2015 [2 favorites]


Oh, yeah, furnace.heart, "Beer Craft" is a good book as a primer for n00bs on all topics of brewing, but also because it focuses on 1-gallon recipes.
posted by wenestvedt at 10:05 AM on November 19, 2015


I don't have enough friends for five gallons.

That's my situation, too. And, the missus doesn't care for beer, either. I'm long past my "couple of beers a night" days, and a six-pack lasts me a good couple of weeks now, so a one-gallon brew is perfect for me.
posted by Thorzdad at 10:09 AM on November 19, 2015 [2 favorites]


Also, I'm starting to do partial mashes, and I think I would have given up if someone told me to start at all grain. Not because its hard (though temperature control can be a little tricky the first few times), its just a lot to do in one day for the first time. Also, you can make really good beer using malt extract that'll motivate you to get more interested in making beer.
posted by lownote at 10:15 AM on November 19, 2015 [2 favorites]


Oh, and if anyone wants to try homebrewing near Austin and wants a buddy, memail me.
posted by lownote at 10:18 AM on November 19, 2015 [1 favorite]


see, and I feel the opposite. I wish someone had encouraged me to skip extract and partial mash and go right to all-grain. I feel I need to babysit the former (fixed in edit), while I can clean and do other things while the grains steep or I am (fly) sparging.
posted by terrapin at 10:18 AM on November 19, 2015


I actually like bottling, especially with a dishwasher that I can throw the bottles in to sanitize. Crimping crown caps is viscerally very satisfying.

Just make sure that, say, a house centipede hasn't crawled into a bottle and died. Because it won't rinse out in the dishwasher. And then you're in for an interesting surprise when you decide just that one time to drink out of the bottle instead of pouring it out into a glass.

Hypothetically, of course.
posted by backseatpilot at 10:19 AM on November 19, 2015 [2 favorites]


Someday, I am going to see one of these house centipedes that I have only ever heard of on metafilter. And I will probably wet myself as I run away screaming.
Finding one in a beer would probably result in even worse.
posted by Seamus at 10:24 AM on November 19, 2015 [1 favorite]


I usually cook dinner during the mash, or at least prep all of my ingredients.
All grain does take a little longer, but you are right, there is a built in time for food prep and sanitation.
The leap to all grain from partial mash took me 15+ years. It was a little more to learn but it wasn't too hard.
posted by Seamus at 10:27 AM on November 19, 2015


The best thing about all grain is all of the uses you can find for those spent grains like bread, cookies, and granola.
posted by lownote at 10:36 AM on November 19, 2015


The best thing about all grain is all of the uses you can find for those spent grains like bread, cookies, and granola.

That is a great resource! AH! Also, you can re-soak the grain and make a 'small beer' heavily flavored with ginger and you've got the origins of ginger-ale. You'll get a week-ass (sometimes lower than 1% ABV) tasty flavorful soda. You can also gather together a ton of root-beer flavoring agents and make a slamming, real root-beer. Those second, small beers almost demand experimentation. I've made some heavily coriander spiced small beers which turns out really good. Usually when I do a gallon of beer, I make a half gallon of a small beer with the same yeast, as to not waste the pack.
posted by furnace.heart at 10:42 AM on November 19, 2015


Any brewer who's picky - or let us say discerning - about their beer (which is basically all of them, and I don't exempt myself here) has to sit down at some point and think real hard about why they bother to brew at all. It's not like there is a lack of commercial craft beer options, at least in the vast majority of the country. It's not actually cheaper either, once you count all the equipment and assign any value at all to your time. And it's not that easy! Again, if you actually care about the quality of the end result beyond being able to say you made it and it's technically beer, there is quite a learning curve. Objectively it's really just not worth the hassle.

So why do it? I think each person's individual reasons will dictate whether 1-gallon or 5-gallon batches will effectively scratch that itch. If you like to try your hand at lots of different variations on a theme, I can see the small batches being worthwhile. I've found that, god help me, I really like to fiddle around with the mash chemistry, to the point where I'm buying brewing salts and building a RIMS system so I can make a British bitter on one day and a Bohemian pils the next, on the same rig. It's sure not for everyone and I certainly wouldn't think less of anyone who just couldn't be bothered, but it is the kind of thing where, once you're down this road, you might as well make a few gallons at a time.
posted by Joey Buttafoucault at 10:51 AM on November 19, 2015 [4 favorites]


It's not actually cheaper either, once you count all the equipment and assign any value at all to your time.

I disagree on this one.
If I were to buy 10 gallons of beer equivalent to what I make, it wouldn't cost me $5 per gallon.
And as for equipment, we have made most of our gear from reclaimed copper tubing, old plumbing fixtures and scrapped kegs. I think we passed the point where it is significantly cheaper to brew beer we like to drink than to buy it about a decade ago.

But all that aside, I don't put a dollar value on my time. The value of my spare time is entirely dependent upon whether I am enjoying what I am doing. I enjoy making stuff, therefore my brewing time is recreation time, not something I have to do in order to have the end product. If we are going to have to assign value to recreational activity then nothing we do that doesn't make us money is probably worthwhile. But . . . . I like movies and books and puzzles and board games even though they cost me money/time.

So, if the people doing one gallon batches find that it fits their budgets, their space limitations, their time limitations and their recreational requirements, making a 5 (or 10, or whatever) gallon batch might not really be worthwhile.

I really didn't have to type all of that out did I? We really do agree and I'm just picking nits.
You know, with us primates, picking nits is a social activity that creates bonds.
posted by Seamus at 11:28 AM on November 19, 2015 [1 favorite]


Someday, I am going to see one of these house centipedes that I have only ever heard of on metafilter. And I will probably wet myself as I run away screaming.

Come to my apartment, I'm thinking of claiming them as dependents come tax season.
posted by Strange Interlude at 11:50 AM on November 19, 2015 [1 favorite]


the book Beer Craft [...] Its got a couple chapters that are kind of stupid

Out of interest, which chapters (and maybe where to look for better information)? As I mentioned above, I'm using the book as a (rough) guide for my first non-kit batch.

(I'm also thinking about picking up (author of the post) Emma Christensen's book Brew Better Beer which apparently has a 1-gallon focus.)

For me, 1-gallon is nicely scratching my "it's fun to brew" itch without producing more beer than I can drink and without requiring lots of space for equipment and process.

The only thing that gives me pause is that the cost of liquid yeast doesn't really scale down to 1-gallon linearly; I'm going to try to amortize my $6 vial of hefeweizen yeast by splitting it across two successive batches.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 12:01 PM on November 19, 2015


I brew enough, and consume/share enough, that I am well ahead of the game cost-wise, even after equipment costs. Last batch I did a very nice oatmeal stout that had great coffee and chocolate notes for less than 35 cents a bottle. I do it because I love the craft. I like tweaking this or that, splitting the batch and aging or dry-hopping it differently and checking the results. I like it because I can try all sorts of crazy ideas. I have been trying a lot of the Ale Through The Ages recipes, and to me, it is a fascinating spin on history to brew a colonial porter or Chinese rice beer or Scottish heather ale; the beer serves as a jumping-off point for me to learn more about the people and foods and culture of that time.

For people who are curious about getting started, I invite them over to my next brew session, we have pizza and play board games and bullshit while things are cooking, and I take them step by step through how it all works. I draft them again at bottling time. And if they're interested, I say here, find a recipe you like, go shopping, and pick a weekend and we'll brew it. Most people are hooked by their second batch, and want to get a setup of their own.

I am generally doing 15 gallon batches at this point, mainly for economy of scale. I have friends who will happily split a share of a batch. I don't factor my time into my costs, because to me it's a hobby I enjoy. Some people ride motorcycles or go hang gliding; I make beer.
posted by xedrik at 12:10 PM on November 19, 2015 [3 favorites]


Okay, I'm a dork, I know it.
But yeast is expensive and rinsing and reusing yeast is super easy at the 5 & 10 gallon level. I can only imagine it would be the same at the 1 gallon level.

Basic steps
1. While bottling, sterilize a gallon jug.
2. When you are done, pour a half gallon or so of distilled water over the yeast cake, swirl it up and pour it into the sterilized jug.
3. Set the jug in the fridge and sterilize two or three pint mason jars.
4. After 20-30 minutes go back to the jug in the fridge. it should have separated into three layers; top - clear watered down beer, middle - cloudy yeast-rich beer, and bottom - detritus from trub.
5. Gently pour off the clear liquid and distribute the cloudy liquid into two or three pint jars. Pour slowly to not disturb the sediment on the bottom too much.
6. Label the jars and place them in the fridge. use them within a few months.

To use:
The yeast in the jars will have settled out. Open the jar, smell it. It should smell clean and beery, not off or oxidized. Our off most of the clear liquid and agitate the sediment into the remaining inch or so. Pour that cloudy liquid into your beer. It should be fermenting vigorously by the next morning. If not, you may have a problem.

We have done this for a while. Most yeasts run true for 6 or 8 generations. If you do this occasionally, you can reduce the cost of use significantly.
posted by Seamus at 12:19 PM on November 19, 2015 [6 favorites]


We had a deal, Kyle, Papazian's book "The Complete Joy of Home Brewing" is pretty much a standard, and Home Brewing For Dummies has some good reference, too. As far as making the jump to all-grain, I would say see if your local brew shop holds workshops, or maybe has a bulletin board where you could network with another brewer. The steps are basically the same, but you'll need a little extra equipment and there are some tricks of the trade esp with sparging the mash, and so on, that it'd really help to watch someone with a little experience in all-grain and see what is different. Some people like to use bags for the hops and other additions to the boil; others (like me) prefer to just let it go and see what happens. People do different techniques for different reasons, but it's all part of what makes it all so interesting and cool.

If you go all-grain, save some of the spent grain for making the best bread you've ever had. Find a local who raises chickens, and they'll almost certainly trade you fresh eggs for your spent grain, which makes amazing chicken feed that turns hens into laying machines. Spent grain can also go into your yard waste recycling or compost, too, but that seems such a waste.

The biggest reason I went to all-grain is for the limitless options in variety. Beer Smith is a fantastic program that lets you create and share recipes, profile your equipment for efficiency and loss, and scale recipes up or down to nearly any size. It's a great jumping-off point to take someone else's Brown Ale, and play with things to darken up the color a little, or change the bitterness up or down, or the ABV, just a little change here or there, and have an adjusted recipe ready to brew. You can also start from scratch, plug everything in, and have at least a rough idea of how it is likely to come out in color, ABV, and IBU (though, it has no way of telling how it will actually taste...) If you're at all into home brewing, I'd definitely get a copy of Beer Smith. The newsletter is pretty great too.

Did I mention I like beer?
posted by xedrik at 12:23 PM on November 19, 2015 [2 favorites]


BeerSmith has a 21 day trial period. Try it.
Try Brewtarget at the same time. Brewtarget is free.

Being able to play around with a recipe in a program and seeing how changing one parameter affected the beer taught me more in a few hours than reading Palmer's book did in a few years.
Not that Palmer is bad, it's just that my mind works better seeing the interaction.
posted by Seamus at 12:32 PM on November 19, 2015 [1 favorite]


I'm surprised that nobody has yet mentioned that 2.5 gallon equipment and recipes are an increasingly common thing. I used to live in a small Brooklyn apartment, and didn't have room for five gallons, let alone ten. One-gallon batches are fun, but it's a lot of work to wind up with basically a six-pack. 2.5 gallon batches are much lighter on space and easier on process than five-gallon brews, but when all is said and done give you a full case of beer, which is a nice amount. It's kind of the best of both worlds.

(I've since moved in to a larger Brooklyn apartment... and promptly bought a second 2.5 gallon fermenter so I can have two batches going at a time).
posted by Itaxpica at 12:41 PM on November 19, 2015 [4 favorites]


Back when I was younger, I made mead, malinova and kvass on a regular basis. If you have acess to raspberry bushes, malinova is cheaper than buying sodas or wine or beer. Mead has become more expensive to make, unless you are a bee - keeper.
Kvas will probably always be cheap to make.
All 3 are easier to make than beer, and require less equipment. All 3 taste good and even have nutritional value.
This is why peasants in Eastern Europe made these beverages and still do.
I did it because when I was working poor and all my cash went to rent, utilities and the needs of my children, I had to have something fun just for me, so making my own booze and getting better coffee were my two indulgences.
Being able to make my own booze didn't exactly hurt my social life either.
posted by Katjusa Roquette at 1:17 PM on November 19, 2015 [9 favorites]


Cider nerd here. One gallon batches allow me to test different combos of yeasts + apple types...you know, FOR SCIENCE. 🍻
posted by bitter-girl.com at 6:26 PM on November 19, 2015 [1 favorite]


I have a big stake in the homebrewing game - I'm currently in the Bay Area on a field trip for my podcast and signing books and doing research for another book. I'm nutty obsessive and have a few different rigs for different batch sizes. Even still, I've never been able to do 1 gallon beer batches. Just me and the way my brain works. 2.5 is nice though and if I make 10 or god forbid 50 on the club system, that's getting split into a number of parts for flavor experimentation.

All I can say is - wave that brew flag high!
posted by drewbage1847 at 10:13 PM on November 19, 2015 [4 favorites]


I have a copy of her book, which I enjoy - I haven't tried the beer recipes as I don't drink beer myself (although t'bf does so maybe it will be a winter project for us this year) but I've made several of the sodas and currently have some dry mead going. The sizing is ideal because I am rarely going to drink/gift more than a gallon of mead in a year, tbh! The mead is very dry though and I know it will change as it ages but it would be nice to sweeten it a bit more.
posted by halcyonday at 4:19 AM on November 20, 2015


Thank you so much - I just got a hold of some homebrew equipment and started reading articles at random - this is exactly what I didn't know I needed.
posted by Naib at 7:28 AM on November 20, 2015 [3 favorites]


I respectfully disagree.

Each to his own, I guess. If, like me, you're the only one in the house who likes beer, don't drink a lot, and don't have a lot of storage space, then one-gallon brewing is excellent. Plus, if you like experimenting, there's no likelihood of being left with 40-odd bottles of "meh" beer.
posted by 43rdAnd9th at 7:45 AM on November 20, 2015 [2 favorites]


@Drewbage1847 - I almost mentioned your book earlier, but what I wrote didn't make much sense after I read it. I'm currently fermenting a Rye IPA based on the recipe in Experimental Homebrewing. I split part of the batch into a 1 gallon to try out how adding tea to it would taste. Won't find out for 3 more weeks.
posted by lownote at 12:24 PM on November 20, 2015 [1 favorite]


Hey, drewbage1847, what's your podcast, and what is the book?

--
Also, like 43rdAnd9th, I am the only beer drinker in my house so a small batch really is perfect. (I am also the only coffee drinker: apparently no one else in his house has any vices. More for me!)
posted by wenestvedt at 8:03 PM on November 20, 2015


Coming in way late cause I forgot to check back in on my trip.

Book is Experimental Homebrewing - Mad Science in the Pursuit of Great Beer. @lownote is brewing Denny's Wry Rye IPA, which is pretty awesome and then Denny and I are producing a podcast which is now listed in projects - Experimental Brewing
posted by drewbage1847 at 11:07 AM on December 10, 2015


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